Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-07-29
LOST AND FOUND.
by JAMES FRANKLIN Fits.

y NJ
To that fair and fertile district of the
State of Now York, now known as niagara
County, there came in the early years OF
the present century hardy settler, Guy
Danvers, with his family, and located near
what is now known as tue Ridge Road.
The region was then an olmost unbToken
forest. There was no other settler within
two miles; there was no village within ten
population that each hardy pioneer had to
rely upon himself in the dangers and
troubles of his situation.
The family of Danvers consisted OF him
self, his wife, and one child. Danvers and
his wife were of the middle age, had seen
much sorrow and adversely in Connecticut,
whence they had removed to their new
to the grave. The sixth and last, the dar-
ling of their hearts, alone survived, and
was with them in their wilderness home.
Little Pick, as he was called, Che was named
for the Revolutionary patriot. Timothy
Pickcring) was at this timo but Z years
old; laughing, blue-eyed. golden haired
child bright and intelligent beyond his
years, and won all hearts by his cunning
and precocious ways.
Many Indians still inhabited this region,
although not hostile 10 the white settlers.
Small parties of them had sometimes
passed the Danvers cabin, and the little
family had become accustomed to their
appearance. One day i'll the spring, a tall
young Indian came slowly ont of the woods,
and paused near the door. Mr.. Danvers
accosted him in friendly manner. using
the few native words of welcome that he
had learned. The reply was in language
that the settler at once understood to
mcan-"sick, very sick" 1t was then
easily seen that the visitor was suffering
with severe fever. He accepted the invi-
tstion to come into the cabin and lie down;
and there he lay for three weeks before he
was able to walk again. Mrs. Danvers
was a shillful and experienced nurse, and
had brought with her stock of medicines.
Under her care the Indian slowly recovered.
He talked very little, and his impressive
face hardly showed the trace of human
emotions; not even when little Pick would
put his little white hand into the big brown
one OF the other, and play with the beads
and feathers of his dress. Beyond the
facts that his name was KondiaroclS, that
he was Mohawk who had fingered here
when his tribe removed 70 Canada, be-
cause he liked this country, and that he
loved between the lakes, without any fixed
homo, he had nothing to tell. When at
last he had recovered. his leavc-talling
when the family had risen, they found
that he had depalted during the tight,
without word or sign.
81 believe they are all brutcs, these
Indians" said the good housewife, pet
tishiy. "They don't appreciate kindness,
and are not thankful for it,"
"You are mistaken, replied her husband.
"Their ways are very different from ours,
and they school themselves to suppress
their feelings; but they are capable of graft
tude."
"Indeed And this fellow did not even
say thank YOU"
ale couldn't speak it in English, 1"
laughed Danvers, "and if he had said it in
Mohawk, you never would know what he
was talking about"
1t was long before they saw their strange
guest again, but tokens of his remembrance
and thankfulness were not wanting. One
morning fine quarter of venison was
found at the door; week after, there was
q wild turkey there; and later, q great
nauscalonge from the lake. Gifts of this
kind were frequent during the summer,
always coming in the same mysterious
manner, with no other trace of the donor.
The last was quantity of wild honey, con-
tanned in curious vessel of birch-bark.
Prom this time the presents ceased; and
one day white man who had seen the
Indian While lie lay sick at the cabin told
AR. Danvers that he had met him weel,
before on has Way west to join his tribe at
the Grand River Of Canada.
Tie pleasant autumn season was well
advanced, and Danvers was laboring hard
with bis az TO enlarge his little clearing
around the cabin. Often he took his boy
with him for company; and as he usually
worked in sight of the cabin, though some
times fifty rods away, Mrs. Danyers could
see her husband and child by stepping to
the door. Upon the memorable and sor-
rovful day which is now to be noticed, the
pioneer had gone deeper into the woods,
and was at work all the morning out of
sight from the cabin. He came home ut
noon, hut his wife met him far from the
door.